Car-coupling.



PATENTED JULY 18, 1905.

P. H. NORWOOD. CAR COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 23. 1904.

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NTTED STATES 'Patented July is, 1905.

FRANK H. NORNOOD, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONF- HALF TO VILLIAM H. SMITH, OF FASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

-CARCOUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,231, dated July 18, 1905,

i Application filed July 23,1904. Serial N0. 217,799.

To n/ZZ wil/m it may concern:

Be it known that 1, FRANK H. NoRwooD, a citizen of the United States, residing' at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Vimprovements in Car Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car-couplers in general, but has reference more particularly to that type of automatic couplers designed for use on electric or surface street-car lines; and the objects of said invention are to provide a coupling of comparatively simple construction which may be used as an automatic coupler and which may be readily converted into a coupler for engagement with couplings of the ordinary type whenever desired.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a strong and durable coupler which shall be composed of few parts and which will not be liable to get out'of order in use, and which will be reliable and efiicient in operation, and to provide a structure which may be readily convertible from an automatic coupler to one of the ordinary hani'l-operated type in general use without the use of tools and by unskilled persons.

The objects referred to are attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the front end of a car with a coupler made in accordance with this invention connected to the front end of an ordinary draw-bar pivoted under the platform of the car. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional plan view of the coupler, taken on a line immediately under the top wall of the casings or housings of the coupler, said ligure being' on a larger scale than Fig. 1 and being' on the same scale as the remaining ligures of the drawings. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line a' :1.1, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line 1/ y, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on line e Fig'. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of one of the coupling-bars. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the coupling-pin.

Like characters of reference designate like parts wherever they occur in the different views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings for a more par* ticular description of my invention, the numeral 1, Fig. 1, designates the front end portion of an ordinary street-car, and 2 is the usual draw-bar, pivoted at 3 by a bolt 4, passing through the platform 5 and through the rear end ofsaid draw-bar 2, this construction permitting a lateral swing to said draw-bar within a keeper 6, secured under the front end of the platform.

Theouter ends of my coupler-casings are each provided with an open slot or recess 7 to engage the outer end of a draw-bar of any desired type, and, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, a bolt 8 connects the coupler to the draw-bar 2 land permits a lateral swing or pivotal movement of the coupler upon the draw-bar, while the latter is also pivoted to swing upon the bolt 4. An uncoupling-chain 9 is secured at one end to the automatic coupling-pin, to be hereinafter described, and the opposite end of said chain is connected to the dashboard of the car within easy reach of the driver or motorman.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the casing or housing of the coupler. lt may be noted that the two members of the coupler are identical in construction, and hence a description of one of said members will serve for both. The casing or housing 10 is substantially rectangular in cross section, as shown in Fig. 3, and the hollow interior portion 11 forms also a substantially rectangular compartment for containing the coupler-bar 12. This coupler-bar is composed of two parts or sections, the bar 12 having a tapering nose 13, the sides of which are curved, and the bottom and top are of similar contour, as will be understood from the drawings. The bar 12 is super-posed upon a spacing-bar 14, which has its front end curved, as at 15, to lit within a recess 16, formed near the front end underneath the bar 12, as best shown in Fig. 6. ln order that the bars l2 and 14 may loe held in alinement, the recess 16 is provided with a central groove 17, designed to engage a projecting tongue formed on the curved end of the bar 14. The bar 12 is proyided with a rectangular recess 18 upon its upper side near the nose 13 for a purpose which will presently appear. The two bars 12 and 14 constitute the automatic couplerbar and when connected as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are secured at one side within thecasing or housing 10 by means of an ordinary round pin 19, which passes through alined openings in the upper and lower walls ot' the casing and through both bars 12 and 14, the bar 14 extending back to the rear wall of the casing and having a rectangular recess or notch l2O in its side to engage the lower portion of the rectangular automatically-operated couplingpin 21. rIhis coupling-pin 21 has an enlarged head 22, and the upper portion otl the shank of said pin is rectangular in cross-section, a curved under surface or cam 23 being formed upon one side ot' said shank and the remaining portion ot' the shank being reduced in area to pass into the notch 20 in the side ot' bar 14, while theupper enlarged portion of said shank engages the rectangular recess 18 in the coupler-bar 12.

The two members of the coupling being ot' identical construction, it will be obvious that when said members are connected to the meeting ends of two cars to be coupled one coupler-bar 12 14 will occupy about one-halt' of the space within its casing 10, while the coupler-bar of the other casing will occupy the space at the opposite side of its casing, as will be understood from Fig. 2 of the drawings. Vhen the two members are brought together, the noses 13 pass into the casings side by side and the curved side and top surfaces of the noses riding under the curved cam 23 of each pin 21 and raising the pinnntil it comes into register with the recess 18 in the coupler-bar 12, when said pins drop by gravity and couple the cars. To uncouple the cars, the chain 9, which is connected by a cotter-pin fr to the 'lower end of the pin 21 and passes up through the casing to a point within reach ot' the motorinan or driver, may be operated to raise the pin 21 until the enlarged portion vof its shank is above the recess 18 in the couplerbar 12.

W'hen itis desired to convert the coupler from an automatic to an ordinary hand coupler, the coupler-bar 12 is removed by withdrawing the pin 19. An ordinary couplinglink may be connected to the casing by means ot' the pin 19 when the bar 12 has been removed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my improved coupler is strong and durable, is of few parts, and said parts occupy nearly the entire space within the easings, and thus do not permit the parts to move about or rattle in use. /Vhen used as an automatic coupler,

the action is reliable and smooth, and the two members are not liable to become accidentally uncoupled.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Acar-couplercomprisingacasing,acoup ler-bar arranged in the casing at onel side of the longitudinal center thereof, and made up ot' a lower section having a notch i-n one side and a tongue at its outer end and also having a vertically-disposed aperture, and an upper section having a vertically-disposed aperture registered with that of the lower section, and also having a tapered nose, a recess in its side in rear of said nose to receive a gravitating pin ot' a complementary coupler, a recess in its under side to receive the outer end of the lower member and a groove in the wall ot' said recess to receive the tongue and the outer end et' the lower member, a pin resting in the casing and the registered apertures in the seetions of the coupler-bar, and a gravitating pin resting in the casing and having a lower reduced portion disposed in the notch ot' the lower coupler-bar section and a beveled shoulder arranged to be engaged by the tapered nose of the upper coupler-bar section ot' a complementary coupler and to seat in the recess in the side o1Ll said section.

2. A car-coupler com prisingacasing,a cou pler-bar arranged in the casing at one side ot' the longitudinal center thereofl and made up of an inner section having a vertical aperture and an outer section arranged to be engaged by a gravitating pin o't a complementary coupler and having an aperture registered with that ot' the inner section, a pin resting in the casing and the registered apertures ot' the coupler-bar sections, and a gravitatiiig pin engaging the inner coupler-bar section and arranged to be` engaged by the outer coupler-bar section of a complementary coupler.

3. A car-coupler comprising a casing-,zi coupler-bar arranged in the casing at one side oi' the longitudinal center thereof and made up ot' an inner section having a vertical aperture and also having a passage and an outer section arranged to be engaged by a gravitating pin of .a complementary coupler and having an aperture registered with that oi the inner section, a pin resting in the casing and the registered apertures oi" the coupler-bar sections, a gravitating pin engaging the inner coupler-bar section and arranged to be engaged by the outer coupler-bar section of a complementary coupler, and a cable connected to' the lower portion of said gravitating pin and extending upwardly through the casing and the passage in the inner coupler-bar section.

14. An automatic ear-coupler comprising a coupler-bar composed of two parts connected by a pin, a tapered nose on one of said bars, and a coupling-pin having a curved cam to be IOO IIO

engaged by said nose, said bar having a notch or recess into which the pin is dropped by gravity when in alinement therewith.

5. In an automatic car-coupler, a casing, a two-part coupler-bar connected together by a tongue, a groove, and a pin, one of said bars having a recess and a tapered cam-nose, a coupling-pin having a curved cam-surface designed to be engaged by the cam-nose, and to drop by gravity into the recess, said coupler-bar occupying' one-halt` of the space within the casing, and being removable therefrom to convert the coupling into an ordinary handoperated coupling.

6. A car-coupler comprising a casing,a coupler-bar arranged in the casing at one side of the longitudinal center thereof and having an inner portion and an outer portion; the latter portion being arranged to be engaged by a gravitating pin of a complementary coupler, and a gravitating pin engaging the inner portion of the coupler-bar and arranged to be engaged by the outer portion ot' the couplerbar ot' a complementary coupler.

7. A car-coupler comprising two members of identical construction, each member comprising a casing having a coupler-bar secured at one side therein and occupying substantial] y one-half ot' the space within the casing, said coupler-bars having each a recess and a tapered nose, and automatic couplingpins each having' a cam to be engaged by the noses to seat said pins in the recesses.

8. Acar-couplercomprisingacasing,acoup ler-bar arranged in the casing at one side of the longitudinal center thereof and having an inner portion and an outer portion; the inner portion being provided in one side with a notch and the outer portion being arranged to be engaged by a gravitating pin of a complementary coupler, and a gravitating pin resting in the casing and having a lower reduced portion disposed in the notch of the inner coupler-bar portion and also having a beveled shoulder arranged to be engaged by the outer coupler bar portion of a complementary coupler.

9. A car-coupler comprising a casing, a gravitating pin extending through the casing and having a portion at an intermediate point of its length arranged to be engaged by a coup- 1er-bar of a complementary coupler, and an uncoupling-cable connected to the said pin at a point below the casing.

10. In a car-coupling, the combination of two members, each of which members comprises a casing, a coupler-bar secured in the casing at one side thereof, and a gravitating pin extending through the casing and having a portion at an intermediate portion of its length arranged to be engaged by a couplingbar by the other member.

11. In a car-coupling, the combination of two members each of which members comprises a casing, a spacing-bar, a coupler-bar superposed on the spacing-bar, a pin extending through and connecting the casing, the spacing-bar and the coupler-bar, and means Jfor automatically engaging the coupler-bar of the other member.

In testimony whereo't1 I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. NORVOOD. l/Vitnesses:

F. Gr. CRUIoKsHANx, F. R. BONNEY. f 

